Wildlife Painter Spotlight – Grant Hacking

Grant Hacking - Elephant
Grant Hacking – Elephant
Waterfowl Festival
Waterfowl Festival

Maryland – -(Ammoland.com)- Grant Hacking, an artist who lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, says he will soon start planning his paintings for the 2016 Waterfowl Festival in Easton.

“Since this is an election year and a tough time, I think I just might do some enjoyable things.” He says, coming up with the ideas for paintings is more difficult for him than the actual execution of the painting.

While Hacking is originally from South Africa and most known for his gorgeous paintings of African wildlife and landscapes, he said, “I love to paint birds.”

Speaking in his charming South African accent, “I do everything from abstracts to all sorts of other subjects. I’m pulling together an abstract collection I’ll be sending to London, then probably to South Africa. I just had a show at the Tate Gallery in London.”

Grant is a self-taught artist who is the son of professional artists.

Grant Hacking - Red Fox
Grant Hacking – Red Fox

Born and raised in South Africa, he moved to the United States in 1990 when he was just 25 years old. “While I was fresh over from Africa … I was kind of lost and didn’t know what to do.” His first art show in the U.S. was in Northern Virginia. Luckily for Hacking, Martha Horner attended that show and admired his African paintings. Horner, who is a longtime member of the Waterfowl Festival Board of Directors and co-chairman of the Festival Art Committee invited Hacking to show his art. “You don’t say no to Martha Horner!” Hacking said his first Waterfowl Festival “was wonderful” and he sold several small pieces of art.

Hacking said “I love Easton.” He marvels at how Easton has changed over the years. But it still retains “the small town feel”
he appreciates.

He likes the way the streets are blocked off to encourage Festival-goers to walk around downtown. The Festival is “more relaxing” than some of the other shows in which he participates. Taking part in the Festival for more than 20 years now, Hacking always looks forward to returning. “I will see lots of old friends.” He also enjoys scouting the town’s antique shops.

Grant Hacking - Bob Cat
Grant Hacking – Bob Cat

Hacking tries to emphasize quality in the art he selects for a show. “I generally try to show a broad spectrum of work.” Just last year he was the Featured Artist at the prestigious Southeastern Wildlife Expo. He also won Best of Show at the 9th annual Wildlife and Western Visions Art Show in 2008. He has amassed many other honors for his art. After the 2016 Waterfowl Festival he will take part in a large show in Las Vegas. He is a member of Art for Conservation, the Society of Wildlife Artists, the Mt. Washington Valley Art Association and the Oil Painters of America.

Look for Grant Hacking at the Art at the Armory exhibit on Harrison Street.

Maryland Waterfowl Festival

For the full schedule of events, Festival map, directions and parking information, visit www.waterfowlfestival.org!

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Leonard Johnson

RE: Gray’s Cover Hi Grant, We met at Easton last year. I mentioned that I’d seen your work in Gray’s and you said you had done a cover for them but did not have the issue it was printed in. I told you I’d look for it this summer at our cabin in Maine. Any way I found it—NOV/DEC 2002 “The Hunt Begins”. I would be pleased to mail it to you, if you’d like to have it. I had trouble trying to send this to your email address I got off the internet so I am trying this route.… Read more »